His name was Juwon Omisore. She had met him in her final year at school. He had come to get some stuffs done. She can't say it was love at first sight but there had certainly been an attraction between them like some kind of force when they had both smiled at one another. He had asked her where the senate building was. She cannot really remember the scenarios that had led them to dating. What she knew was, he was a wonderful caring man and she had fallen in love with him despite the age difference. He was nearly thirty and she was just eighteen, about twelve years difference between them.

Aside from his loving personality, he was a handsome man. He wall tall, lanky and had a very appealing face. His looks were enthralling especially his smile and laughter. He was the first man to lay in her bed, the first to hold her and touch her the way no man had never held or touched her. He brought her dreams to reality. Money was never a problem because he was an engineer who works with a good construction firm. She knew, every passing day, that she had found the man of her dream, her prince charming on a white horse.

Then, she had found out he was a married man with two children. She had been astonished. She could still remember how she had sat on the bed in her room, her friend telling her the gist of how he's friends to an uncle of her neighbour and all, tears rolling down her cheeks. She had been numb, frozen and heartbroken. Despite that revelation, she knew she was not ready to leave him.

She had called him, met him and confronted him. He had gone on his knees, begging her while she wept. She told him she was no longer interested, that she hated him for lying to her, for keeping his marriage from her but deep inside she knew she does not want to leave him because he had become her everything.

"I will leave her" He said. "I will leave her soon. I am willing to divorce her. Our marriage is at the rock bottom and about to end. We are planning a divorce. I wanted to tell you after the divorce had been finalised" He had told her.

"It still does not change anything" She said with a croaked voice. "I am ending whatever I have with you" She swallowed because those words were not easy to say.

"Do not do this to me. I love you, Osas" He had revealed.

Those words had shattered every determination to breakup him. She had looked at him, while he knelt on the floor next to her with glossy eyes. Her timid heart had staggered and was hurt at the sight of that pained and bereaved look on his face. He knew he had hit a chord on her with those words.

"I love you Osas" He whispered, his Adam apple bobbed. "I had always loved you. Please, do not leave me" His voice shook.

Osas had buried her face in her palms and wept in them. Why does it have to be now? She cried her heart out. They had taken a break for a while. Few months later, after her final year exams, they reconciled again. This time, she was ready to stay even though he had a wife and kids. She was ready to die with him regardless of the fact that there was another woman in the picture, a woman who was legally his. She does not care about what the world will call her, the other woman.

She had few encounters with the wife but had been proud and saucy because she knew she had the man. Juwon will never leave her. It was certain. Or was she delusional about everything?

During her service year, she got pregnant. Juwon had worked her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to Lagos state where she had been. She will forever remember the happy look on his face when she told him about the pregnancy. He had lifted her, twirled her and gave her a mind blowing kiss, a kiss that still makes her lips tingle, five years later. By God, Juwon had a lot of effect on her, physically and emotionally.

When she had asked him when he will leave his wife, he had told her not to worry. The divorce shall be finalised soon but who cares about it when she had the man. He pampered her like an egg. He took care of her in spite of the fact that her parents were furious and against her being pregnant out of wedlock.

It happened without any sign and she was not expecting it. It had shook her to the bone, left her traumatised and depressed. His line stopped going through. She did not hear a word from him. There was no message or phone call. He had not tried to reach her in anyway. At that time, her annoyed parents had accepted her back. Days became weeks. Week became months. There was no word from him. Each day brought a new feeling and thought. She had a lot of bad thoughts like maybe he had died or worse left her. Later, she found out he had left the country with his wife and children.

He had left to start a new life with the woman he told her he was going to divorce. She had ran mad, thrown a tantrum and cried her wrecked heart out, after which, she had gone into depression. Giving birth to Esosa had made her realise she had another reason to live. Even though the father had messed up, her daughter was there. There was something that will always remind her of a man who lied to her, played her then had left her to nurse her shattered heart.

Osas swallowed, tears in her eyes at the flash of unwanted memories in her head. She halted the car in the parking lot, sat still for a moment, stared into space as the familiar feeling absorbed her. The pain of the past lingered in her heart, giving her the known ache in her chest. She came out of her reverie with a sigh, unlocked the seat belt and got down from the car.

Pupils in navy blue and white uniforms were dispersed around the school. Most ran to their parents or school bus, eager to leave the environment for home where they had no reason to think about learning or writing. Their happy squeals filled the ground, some of which were tears from those that had fallen or were hurt from something. Teachers were around to keep everything in order, throwing orders at those who needed them and handing over their pupils to their parents or guardians. A female teacher had gone to the playing ground to chase the pupils having fun to their various buses and guardians or parents.

Osas took quick and precise steps towards her daughter who sat on a bench with a boy of the same age as her. They were so engrossed in whatever they were doing that they had not noticed her. The corners of her painted lips curled up. Her knee length dress was still neat as if she had not sat with it or worn it from the beginning of her day. Her hair still held tidily to the back with a hair band. The makeup she had meticulously touched before leaving her office for her daughter's school enhanced her beauty. It was very minimal and simple.

There was a feeling that bloomed in her heart at the sight of her daughter, one which she felt each time she stared at her. Esosa had become her everything and was the apple of her eyes. She was always her reason to smile and laugh. The little girl was smart and witty for a five year old.

"Esosa" She called out as she moved closer to the duo.

Esosa snapped her head up. Her little mouth formed an o from amusement of seeing her mother and those almond shape eyes went wide with joy and recognition.

"Mummy!" She squealed, hopping to her feet. Her piggy tail danced to her movement.

"There is my angel" Osas went down, opened her arms and accepted the little one into them. Esosa encircled her arms around her mother's neck, nuzzling her face into her neck to inhale the familiar sweet scent of her mother. She leaned in to peck her mother's cheek who in return kissed hers. They giggled. The young one fell back into her mother's arms, resting her small palms against her mother's cheek. "How was school?"

"Amazing!" Esosa grinned, showing off the gap in between her teeth that indicated a missing tooth. "We did creative art today. Mummy" Esosa reached for the bag that was fastened to her back. "I will show you what I painted"

"Calm down your horses, madam" Osas teased. "You can always show me that when we get back to my office. We are running late"

Disappointed, Esosa pouted. The look pierced her mother heart who resisted to pull her daughter's cheek for being so cute.

"But I want to show you now. My aunty said it was a beautiful painting"

"I know, Esosa" Osas said, scooping her daughter into her arms as she got up. "But mummy is running late for work. I promise you, I will give you all the time you need when we get back to my office" She kissed Esosa's cheek.

"Promise?" Esosa held out her little finger.

"Pinky promise" Osas crossed her little finger with her daughter's. Osas laughed. "I love you" She pressed her nose to her daughter's then rubbed, causing Esosa to let out a fist of tiny giggles.

"Osas?" A masculine voice called behind them, halting the mother-daughter moment.

Osas swirled around to the direction of the voice to find a man standing behind her, a boy holding his hand. Recognition hit her, instigating her eyes to go wide before she called out "Jafar?"

-----

He found her in the lawn, seating and staring into space. She had stopped crying and it was evident on her face that her mind had travelled far away even though she was physically present. Lolu headed toward her.

"Done weeping?" He asked, sitting next to her.

"It's not a nice way to console a sad person" She sniffled, running her hands through her face.

"I saw everything that happened between your grandmother and you"

"I do not want to talk about it"

"Okay but I will say something" She turned to look at him. Her eyes were puffy from crying and tired from unwanted stress. He could tell she was emotionally tired of everything her grandmother is putting her through and within seconds of breaking down, it wore her out. "Do what pleases you" He pronounced the words one after the other. She stared at him, eyes unblinking. "That's all" He tapped her nose playfully.

"Thank you" The edges of her lips lifted into a smile. "I will just go home and rest. I am done here for today" She uncrossed her leg and got to her feet as she snatched her side bag.

"Are you sure you do not need me to drive you home?" He grabbed her hand, his eyes held hers.

"Not at all" She laughed. "Stop being a gentleman to me and find yourself a wonderful woman" She tugged his nose with another laugh. Lolu was transfixed for a while. Her laughter rang through the air, sending a dull feeling of desire through him. It was musical but a unique music with its own beautiful melody. "Bye" She gave him a light wave.

"Alright bye. I will give you a call tonight" He waved back.

"Will expect it" She threw a smile at him over her shoulder.

Lola headed to her car. She searched for her car key, rummaging through the Chloe Tess hand bag. Then she saw it. Or had she felt it that she had to pull it out. Blood drained from her face making her suddenly pale. Her eyes grew wide. What she held in between her trembling thumb and index finger was a picture of them. A picture of her and the man she had always wanted to put out of her mind but he kept haunting her in her dreams. The photo took her back in time, into a day, she had locked in a compartment in her heart.

They had gone out to lunch with his friends in some luxurious restaurant in Los Angeles. She remembered they were three, all male, but two had come with their girlfriends and the last one had just gone through a series of breakup which left him single. They had been nice. The lunch had been fun because there were a lot to talk about and laugh about. One of his friends had suggested they take a picture or had she? She really cannot remember. What she remembered was they took a group picture and she had someone take a picture of both of them. He had collected the picture even printed it out for she had seen it on his dressing table in a frame. He said he wanted to remember every moment with her for he's going to cherish them forever.

In the picture, he had his hand over her shoulder. Their heads were near one another but he was not looking at the camera instead, he stared at her with an expression she could not explain. He seemed dazed like he was blown away by something on her. He said her smile was pretty and it lit her eyes. Then, she had said it was because she was too beautiful for him not to stare at. She was beautiful, always had been. Even five years ago, nothing had changed in her physically except her face that seemed younger was older.

As the memory faded away, returning her back to reality, Lola let out a very shaky breath, throwing away the picture as if it burned her. Her ribs compressed over her lungs. Sweat broke free from her saturated pores. How did the picture get into her bag? She had burned everything, thrown away and gave out everything that reminded her of him. She made sure she had nothing left, not even the underwear they had shopped together for.

The entire event weakened her causing her to lean against her car. Her heartbeat had picked up at a race above normal. She tried to regulate her breathing. Last week, it was Jimmy Choo heels. This time, it's a picture of them. What does this whole thing mean?